Comments on: Anemia Meds Linked To Blood Clots And Deaths http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/02/anemia-meds-linked-to-blood-clots-and-deaths/ News, Comment and Conversation Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Gregory D. Pawelski http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/02/anemia-meds-linked-to-blood-clots-and-deaths/#comment-179858 Gregory D. Pawelski Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:22:04 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/02/anemia-meds-linked-to-blood-clots-and-deaths/#comment-179858 Dr. Charles L. Bennett (in the NYT article), a professor at Northwestern University and an oncologist and hematologist, said he did not think that the higher risk of death came from those blood clots. Rather, he said, there is evidence that the drugs, which are synthetic forms of a natural hormone called erythropoietin, directly stimulate the growth and spread of tumors. Pharmaceutical EPO can feed the growth of tumors in cancer patients (it is a "growth factor" afterall). A "growth factor" is about twenty small proteins that attach to specific receptors on the surface of stem cells in bone marrow and promote differentiation and maturation of these cells into morphotic constituents of blood. And blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). Problems with blood composition or circulation can lead to downstream tissue (which is made up of cells) dysfunction. If pharmaceutical EPO stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells, it could feed the growth of tumors in cancer patients. The problem is that few drugs work the way oncologists think and few of them take the time to think through what it is they are using them for. Take medical oncologists out of the retail pharmacy business and force them to be cancer "doctors" again! Dr. Charles L. Bennett (in the NYT article), a professor at Northwestern University and an oncologist and hematologist, said he did not think that the higher risk of death came from those blood clots. Rather, he said, there is evidence that the drugs, which are synthetic forms of a natural hormone called erythropoietin, directly stimulate the growth and spread of tumors.

Pharmaceutical EPO can feed the growth of tumors in cancer patients (it is a “growth factor” afterall). A “growth factor” is about twenty small proteins that attach to specific receptors on the surface of stem cells in bone marrow and promote differentiation and maturation of these cells into morphotic constituents of blood. And blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). Problems with blood composition or circulation can lead to downstream tissue (which is made up of cells) dysfunction. If pharmaceutical EPO stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells, it could feed the growth of tumors in cancer patients.

The problem is that few drugs work the way oncologists think and few of them take the time to think through what it is they are using them for. Take medical oncologists out of the retail pharmacy business and force them to be cancer “doctors” again!

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